List of Thessalonians

The list below contains notable people who are from the city of Thessaloniki, listed alphabetically.

Native Thessalonians

The following were born in Thessaloniki. Some became famous after they moved away.

A

• Antipater, general
• Maurice Abravanel, conductor
• Giannis Aggelakas, Trypes, musician
• Mary Akrivopoulou, actress
• Moses Almosnino
• Manolis Anagnostakis, poet
• Isaac Adarbi, casuist
• Saul Amarel, pioneer of Artificial Intelligence
• Anthimos Ananiadis, actor
• Cahit Arf, mathematician
• Aristarchus, saint
• Nikolas Asimos, counter-culture composer, singer, and anarchist
• Michael Astrapas and Eutychios, painters
• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of Turkey

B

• Avraam Benaroya, an early worker's union pioneer
• Isaak Benrubi, philosopher
• Sam Benrubi

C

• Nicholas Cabasilas, Byzantine mystic
• Andronicus Callistus, scholar, pioneer of the Renaissance
• Emmanuel Carasso, freemason, young Turk, anti-Zionist, and proponent for internationalization of Thessaloniki
• Isaac Carasso, founder of Groupe Danone (Dannon yogurt)
• Manolis Chiotis, composer and musician
• Dinos Christianopoulos, poet
• Sophia Chrysohoidou, model
• Demetrius Cydones, prime minister of the Byzantine Empire
• Prochorus Cydones, monk, theologian, and linguist
• Saint Cyril, co-creator of the Cyrillic alphabet

D

• Atanas Dalchev, poet
• Giannis Dalianidis
• Stavros Damianides, musician
• Traianos Dellas, footballer
• Saint Demetrius, patron saint of the city

F

• Byron Fidetzis, cellist and conductor

G

• Gus G., guitarist
• Theodorus Gaza, humanist and translator of ancient Greek texts
• Katerina Georgiadou
• Philippe Gigantès, Canadian politician
• Demetris Th. Gotsis

H

• Nazım Hikmet, poet
• Olympia Hopsonidou, model

I

• Afet İnan, historian and sociologist
• Giannis Ioannidis Greek basketball coach
• Giorgos Ioannou, author
• Isidore of Kiev Patriarch of Russia

K

• Lysandros Kaftantzoglou, architect
• Eva Kaili, member of parliament and newscaster
• Sotiris Kalivatsis of A.M.A.N., entertainer
• Andronikos Kallistos, teacher of Greek literature
• Antonis Kanakis of A.M.A.N., entertainer
• Athan Karras, actor and choreographer
• Zoe Karelli, poet
• Christos Karipidis, footballer
• Mustafa Kemal [Atatürk], founder of the Republic of Turkey
• Harry Klynn, comedian
• Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, footballer
• Mary Kostakidis, Australian news anchor
• Georgios Koudas, footballer
• Dinos Kouis, footballer
• Stavros Koujioumtzis, composer
• Kleitos Kyrou, poet

L

• Zoe Laskari, actress
• Jules Levy, composer

M

• Thomas Magister, scholar and grammarian
• Dionysis Makris, singer
• Markos Mamalakis, economist
• Marsheaux, synthpop duo
• Marinella, singer
• Dimitrios Maronitis, scholar
• Saint Methodius, co-creator of the Cyrillic alphabet
• Mordechai Mano
• Rabbi Samuel de Medina, Talmudist and author

N

• Nicolaus Cabasilas, Byzantine mystic

O

• Salih Omurtak, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces
• Clio-Danae Othoneou, actress, musician, and pianist

P

• Alketas Panagoulias
• Vassilios Papageorgopoulos, champion sprinter
• Stelios Papathemelis
• Natasa Pazaïti
• Nikos Gabriel Pentzikis, writer and painter
• Philippus, epigrammatist
• Patriarch Philotheus I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
• Nikos Psarras, actor
• Evangelia Psarra, archer

S

• Raphaël Salem, mathematician
• Christos Sartzetakis
• Dionysis Savvopoulos, composer
• Sabiha Sertel, feminist
• Yannis Stavrou, contemporary artist
• Damaskinos Stouditis, patriarchal exarch of Aitolia

T

• Kostas Tahtsis, author
• Calliope Tatti, Thessaloniki socialite
• Natassa Theodoridou, singer
• Demetrius Triclinius, scholar

V

• Titos Vandis, Hollywood actor
• Takis Varvitsiotis, poet
• Ioannis Vellidis, founder of Makedonia (newspaper)
• Evangelos Venizelos
• Silvana Vienne, actress and singer
• Kostas Voutsas, actor

Z

• Miranta Zafiropoulou, Miss Universe 1968 semifinalist
• Grigorios Zalykis, scholar, writer and diplomat
• Anastasia Zampounidis, German TV personality
• Nikos Zisis, basketball player
• Katia Zygouli, model

Non-Native Thessalonians

These people were not born in Thessaloniki, but are or were well-known for living there.

A

• Gregory Acindynus, Byzantine theologian

B

• Hristos Banikas, chess player
• Moisis Michail Bourlas, resistance fighter

C

• Cicero

D

• Katia Dandoulaki, actress
• David the Dendrite, holy fool
• Stratos Dionysiou, singer

E

• Eustathius of Thessalonica

G

• Gregory Palamas

H

• Henry of Flanders

J

• Joseph the Hymnographer

M

• Ioannis Melissanidis, Olympic gymnast

N

• Apostolos Nikolaidis, singer

P

• Ioannis Passalidis, founder of the United Democratic Left
• Hasan Prishtina, Prime Minister of Albania

S

• George Seremetis
• Shaya, singer

T

• Joseph Taitazak, kabbalist
• Christos Tsigiridis

V

• Vassilis Vassilikos, writer and diplomat

Thessalonians of unknown origin

The following people are or were associated with the city of Thessaloniki. However, it is not known whether they were born there, or moved to the city at some point in their lives.

A

• Nikolaos Aggelakis
• Antipater of Thessalonica
• Konstantinos Armenopoulos, Byzantine jurist whose book, the Hexabiblos, influenced Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek civic code

B

• Mehmed Cavid Bey, Donme Zionist

D

• Lyubomir Dalchev, architect

E

• Epigonus of Thessalonica

G

• Macit Gökberk, philosopher

M

• Macedonius of Thessalonica

P

• Philippus of Thessalonica
• Pyrrhus of Thessalonica

S

• Secundus of Thessalonica
• Sabiha Sertel, feminist